Interview: Antoinette Bruno: Were
you trained in bartending or mixology?Adam Seger: Francesco
Lafranino is my mentor. He’s the Director of Southern
Wine & Spirits in Nevada.

AB: What’s your
cocktail philosophy?AS: I like to think about
creating drinks like a chef. You need a balance of acid, fruit
and bitterness. Layers of flavor are important. The use of
syrups is a way to layer flavors. Take for example my mojito.
We start with a mint simple syrup. Then we add the muddled
mint leaves. I also do a habanero ginger syrup that’s
hot and sweet at the same time.

AB: What are some current
trends you’ve seen in the cocktail market? How have
trends changed?AS: Rum and tequila are
the two very hot liquors right now. We’re seeing more
creativity, more mixology. Muddling is coming back. More whole
fruit is being used for texture. Dale Degroff is bringing
back great cocktails with his involvement in the Museum of
the American Cocktail. He makes his own blend of liquors for
each place he works for, so they have a signature liquor.
He also uses a bigger muddler, to get the juice out without
getting bitter.

AB: What inspires you
when creating a new drink?AS: Ingredients are key.
I’ll use 10% syrup and 90% fruit. I get these “Funkin
Professional” purees that are fruit purees cooked sous
vide. It allows me to do high quality drinks with exotic ingredients
that I can’t get at certain times of the year.

AB: Where do you see
yourself in five years?AS: Getting my Master
Sommelier. I’m a CCP – Certified Culinary Professional.
It’s rare to have food, wine and cocktail knowledge.
I want to write 3 books on cooking with spirits. It would
be organized by spirit.

RISING STAR BAR CHEF
AWARD SPONSORED BY

Adam SegerNACIONAL 27 | Chicago

At Chicago's Nacional 27 Adam Seger takes a chef's approach
at the bar and, working closely with Executive Chef/Partner Randy
Zweiban, he creates a culinary-mixology fusion, bringing together
the bar and the kitchen to take cocktails to a new level. Seger
stretches the boundaries of cocktail flavor profiles, incorporating
new kitchen technologies which have a natural home at the bar. Driven
by the ingredient obsession of a chef, Seger not only uses specialty
and boutique liquors for his drinks, but also sources artisan products,
such as the organic agave syrup from Peru. He even makes his own
maraschino cherries. Seger’s culinary approach to cocktails
was inspired by his tenure with world-class chefs like Thomas Keller
and Rick Tramonto. He was also mentored by the industry’s
top mixologists, including Dale Degroff and Francesco Lafranino.
Seger, who also serves as General Manager and Sommelier of Nacional
27, is an Advanced Level Sommelier, and co-founder of Chicago Blind
Tasters, a group of talented young sommeliers who are preparing
for Master Sommelier accreditation.